Black Hat

Only a coward beats a man in chains. John Wayne, Roy Rogers, Audie Murphy, Gary Cooper, among other good guys who wore white hats, never picked up a chair to beat the bad guy during a fight. It didn't matter how dirty the bad guy fought, the good guys still kept their end of the battle clean. When they took the bad guys in, they didn't beat them or torture them, even if the bad guys had worked over their best friend while holding him hostage. Good guys never fight dirty or torture people, no matter how bad the other guy is. Those are the actions of cowards and criminals (the guys who wear the black hats)

Easton police said a man stopped a 15-year-old girl during an incident Monday afternoon. Police said around 12:40 p.m., a man driving a van stopped a girl in the 1100 block of Spruce Street. Police said the man asked the girl if she wanted to smoke with him, but noted he made no attempt to get her into the vehicle. Police said they are investigating the incident. The man was driving a green, older model minivan that was in poor condition. The driver had a scruffy beard and was wearing a black hat and black zip up sweater.

A 17-year-old boy had a gun pointed at him during an attempted robbery in his Middle Smithfield Township home Thursday morning in Monroe County. State police in Swiftwater said the robber was a white man, about 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, and he entered the home on Mountaintop Road off Timothy Lake Road around 5:15 a.m. According to a news release from state police: The robber, wearing a black, hooded sweatshirt with a purple and blue logo on the back, black pants and a black hat, entered the house through a basement window.

An Allentown man awoke last night and scared a burglar out of his apartment at 2464 Mountain Lane, police said. Daniel Wanish told police he saw the burglar standing in the hallway looking in a closet. Wanish said he yelled at the burglar, who fled out the front door. The burglar was described as wearing blue jeans, white sneakers and a black hat.

A popular spot for turn-of-the-century Allentonians was the Windsor Cafe at 821 Hamilton St., owned by Joseph F. Gehringer, an immigrant from Wurttemberg, Germany. Perhaps that's Gehringer in the black hat. According to its ads, the Windsor offered wine, liquor and cigars. You could get your shoes shined there, too. And there was the added attraction of bowling alleys.

BETHLEHEM Ruth C. Klotz of Bethlehem turned her back on her shopping cart Friday to open her car in the parking lot of CVS Pharmacy, 327 Woodlawn Ave., Bethlehem, giving a thief just enough time to take her wallet from the cart. A witness told police he saw two men near the cart just before one of them took Klotz's wallet containing $270, identification and credit cards. The thief was described as 6 feet tall, with a mustache, black hat, tan jacket and gray pants. The thief and his companion ran north through an alley near the pharmacy, police said.

Two men sprayed two employees of a Wilson convenience store with pepper gas after the employees refused their demand for money, Wilson police said yesterday. The robbery attempt occurred when the two men walked into the 18th St. Market and asked for change, police said. One of the men pointed something at the employees and demanded money, police said. The employees observed that the item the man was holding was not a gun and refused to give him money, police said. He then sprayed the gas, which incapacitates but generally does not cause permanent damage, they said.

A man was reported shot in the hand in the 100 block of E. Lincoln Street in Easton Thursday afternoon, but city police said they believe the wound was probably self-inflicted. Detective Lt. Steven Parkansky Jr. said police responded to the scene around 1:45 p.m. and found a wounded Keith Thompson, 18, of 316 Palmer St., Easton. Police said Thompson told investigators he was walking down the street when someone shot him for no reason. He told officers the gunman was wearing a maroon jacket and black hat. Thompson, police said, was less than cooperative.

Quakertown police are looking for a 59-year-old man who disappeared from a borough personal care center earlier this month. According to Police Chief James McFadden, Thomas R. Disbrow Jr. was last seen on Broad Street about 4 p.m. Oct. 6 wearing a dark blue suit and a black hat. He is a resident of Tri-County Respite on E. Broad Street, a facility for people with special needs. Disbrow walks with a cane, wears glasses and has a full-white beard. McFadden said residents of Tri-County Respite said they believed Disbrow was going to visit relatives in Philadelphia.

A unique metal, 4-foot cowboy statue with six guns in hand was purchased for my husband for his birthday. It had a special meaning since he liked to watch cowboy movies. He watched a lot of them the past two years while dealing with vascular disease, which took his life Oct. 26, 2008. I decided the cowboy would be an excellent addition to the decor at our son's business, the Buckeye Tavern in Macungie.

Jeff Hall was helping children navigate traffic during his afternoon shift Monday as an Allentown crossing guard when he was pushed against a wall by a man demanding money, city police said. Hall said a man approached him at 2:38 p.m. at Ninth and Liberty streets. Hall said he had no money and threatened to call police. At that point, the man ran west on Ninth Street, said Capt. Dean Schwartz. Hall was not injured. The attempted robber was described as white, 6-foot-3, with blond hair, and wearing a red leather jacket and a black hat with the word "Bronx" on it, police said.

Easton police are looking for two men who robbed a neighborhood market Thursday evening. One shot was fired but no one was injured, police said. An employee of Hall's Market at 39 N. Seventh St. used pepper spray to try to thwart the robbers, Easton police said. In the struggle, a gunshot was fired in the store but no one was injured. Police did not indicate who fired the shot. According to police, four people were in the store at the time of the robbery, just before 7 p.m. All were treated at the scene for exposure to pepper spray.

Music festivals are a great way to see your favorite bands together in one place. But what if your favorite band happens to be ... fictional? While the members of Spinal Tap sometimes do perform live shows, when was the last time you saw Wyld Stallyns or the Hong Kong Cavaliers on the road? Because we believe in dreaming big, we put together a wish list for a one-time-only festival devoted entirely to bands from movies. Call it Filmstock. WYLD STALLYNS (Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure)

WILSON A Wilson delicatessen was robbed around noon Friday by a gunman. There were no injuries in the heist at the Wilson Deli, 2400 Freemansburg Ave., and police said the robber got away with about $100. According to police, a male entered the store and bought a lollipop, then brandished a small handgun and demanded money. The robber fled on foot, running south on S. 23rd Street toward Avona Elementary School. Police searched the area, but made no arrests. The robber was described as 5 feet 1 or 5 feet 2 inches tall and was last seen wearing a black hooded shirt, light-colored pajama bottoms and a black hat. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 610-258-8746.

BETHLEHEM A 23-year-old Bethlehem man was shot once in the arm Thursday night when he told police he confronted two men after a night of playing cards. Michael Richards of 620 Leibert St., was shot once in the left forearm. He was treated and released from St. Luke's Hospital-Fountain Hill. Police said the bullet is still in his arm and he may need surgery to remove it. Police have made no arrests and are still investigating, said Bethlehem police Detective William Dosedlo. Richards told police he was playing cards inside a garage at the rear of a home at 636 Sixth Ave., Bethlehem with friends including Anthony Martinez.

Jeff Hall was helping children navigate traffic during his afternoon shift Monday as an Allentown crossing guard when he was pushed against a wall by a man demanding money, city police said. Hall said a man approached him at 2:38 p.m. at Ninth and Liberty streets. Hall said he had no money and threatened to call police. At that point, the man ran west on Ninth Street, said Capt. Dean Schwartz. Hall was not injured. The attempted robber was described as white, 6-foot-3, with blond hair, and wearing a red leather jacket and a black hat with the word "Bronx" on it, police said.

BETHLEHEM Police are searching for a Bethlehem woman reported missing Friday afternoon. Edna Thomas, of 1971 Chester Road, told police she last saw her daughter, Tequiea Thomas, 18, around 9 p.m. Wednesday. That night Tequiea dropped off her 1-year-old daughter at the mother's apartment, police said. Tequiea Thomas quit her job recently and picked up her last paycheck on Tuesday, according to police. No one has seen her since Wednesday. She is described as 5-feet 4-inches tall and 125 pounds.